Proton Pulse: Love Letter to The 90s

Proton Pulse is ZeroTransform’s love letter to the 90s Virtual Reality. The creator, Justin Moravetz, included subtle references to 90s technology/games like Radius, Arkanoid, and the Amega Computer.

Proton Pulse is a modern day brick breaker in VR. The player must charge the proton to defeat the M.O.A.I. from destroying the universe. To do so, the player will navigated through 3 different worlds with their own unique challenges.

This game is rich with 90s tech culture references. The M.O.A.I. is represented as an Easter Island head. This symbol is also the nemesis in an early 90s game called Radius. In addition, they can also be seen in a 16 bit game called Arkanoid as the final boss. The Amiga Computer Boing Ball Demo is the muse for Proton Pulse’s retro multi ball.

Arkanoid Boss

Amega Computer Boing Ball

Moravetz continued to created connections between 90s games and Proton Pulse, but knew his limitations. He made the proton green instead of red to stray away from being too similar to Virtual Boy by Nintendo. Not willing to miss an opportunity to pay tribute to the gamer classic, the first Proton Pulse trailer was inspired by Virtual Boy’s television ad.

Even with the nods to 90s tech and games, Moravetz included retro-style obstacles like magnets, barriers, and portals to challenge players. To move past these levels, he provided powers ups like metal ball, lasers, and burst mode.

Proton Pulse is a virtual reality game with the essence of the 90s players fell in love with. Radius, Arkanoid, and the Amega Computer where the cutting edge of their time. The team here at ZeroTransform has paid there respect to their development in the tech/gaming industry.